Risk Factors for Recent HIV Infections among Adults in 14 Countries in Africa Identified by Population-Based HIV Impact Assessment Surveys, 2015-2019.

Identifying persons who have newly acquired HIV infections is critical for characterizing the HIV epidemic direction. We analyzed pooled data from nationally representative Population-Based HIV Impact Assessment surveys conducted across 14 countries in Africa for recent infection risk factors. We included adults 15-49 years of age who had sex during the previous year and used a recent infection testing algorithm to distinguish recent from long-term infections. We collected risk factor information via participant interviews and assessed correlates of recent infection using multinomial logistic regression, incorporating each survey's complex sampling design. Compared with HIV-negative persons, persons with higher odds of recent HIV infection were women, were divorced/separated/widowed, had multiple recent sex partners, had a recent HIV-positive sex partner or one with unknown status, and lived in communities with higher HIV viremia prevalence. Prevention programs focusing on persons at higher risk for HIV and their sexual partners will contribute to reducing HIV incidence.

Patterns of gendered risk factors and associations with intimate partner violence and low educational attainment among adolescent girls and young women in Lesotho: A latent class analysis.

BACKGROUND: Globally, adolescent girls and young women (AGYW) are disproportionately impacted by economic, demographic, and social factors associated with a wide range of negative outcomes. OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study was to use latent class analysis (LCA) to identify groupings of AGYW in Lesotho based on patterns of gendered risk factors, and to assess the association between the identified groupings and intimate partner violence (IPV) and low educational attainment. PARTICIPANTS AND SETTING: Data were from the 2018 Lesotho Violence Against Children and Youth Survey. AGYW reported gendered risk factors: teen pregnancy, child marriage, intergenerational sex, early sexual debut, being HIV positive, transactional sex, endorsement of one or more negative traditional gender norms, and one or more norms supportive of violence against women. METHODS: LCA identified latent classes of eight gendered risk factors. Multivariable logistic regression assessed associations between latent classes and IPV victimization and low educational attainment. RESULTS: A three-class solution was selected, and classes were named as: Low Risk class, Behavioral Risk class, and Attitudinal Risk class. Odds of low educational attainment and IPV were higher in the Attitudinal Risk class than the Low Risk class. Odds of low educational attainment and IPV were higher in the Behavioral Risk class than the Low Risk class and the Attitudinal Risk class. CONCLUSIONS: In Lesotho, gendered risk factors form distinct classes that have variable associations with low educational attainment and IPV. LCA can be an important approach to better understand the complicated relationship gendered risk factors have with each other and with certain outcomes, to further elucidate the influence that gender has on the health of AGYW and to provide more targeted prevention programming.

Estimates of the prevalence of undiagnosed HIV among children living with HIV in Eswatini, Lesotho, Malawi, Namibia, Tanzania, Zambia, and Zimbabwe from 2015 to 2017: an analysis of data from the cross-sectional Population-based HIV Impact Assessment surveys.

BACKGROUND: In 2020, there were an estimated 1·7 million children younger than 15 years living with HIV worldwide, but there are few data on the proportion of children living with HIV who are undiagnosed. We aimed to estimate the prevalence of undiagnosed HIV among children living with HIV in Eswatini, Lesotho, Malawi, Namibia, Tanzania, Zambia, and Zimbabwe. METHODS: We conducted an analysis of data from the cross-sectional Population-based HIV Impact Assessment (PHIA) surveys from 2015 to 2017. PHIAs are nationally representative surveys measuring HIV outcomes. HIV rapid test data (with PCR confirmatory testing for children aged <18 months) were used to measure HIV prevalence among children in each country (Eswatini, Lesotho, Malawi, Namibia, Tanzania, Zambia, and Zimbabwe). Mothers or guardians reported previous HIV testing of children and previous results. Detection of antiretroviral medications was done using dried blood spots. Children who tested positive in the PHIA with previous negative or unknown HIV test results and without detectable antiretroviral medication blood concentrations were considered previously undiagnosed; all other children who tested positive were considered previously diagnosed. Survey weights with jackknife variance were used to generate national estimates of HIV prevalence and undiagnosed HIV in children aged 1-14 years. We also report the prevalence (weighted proportions) of antiretroviral therapy coverage and viral load suppression (<400 copies per mL). FINDINGS: Between 2015 and 2017, 42 248 children aged 1-14 years were included in the surveys, of whom 594 were living with HIV. Across the seven countries, the estimated weighted HIV prevalence was 0·9% (probability band 0·7-1·1) and we estimated that there were 425 000 (probability band 365 000-485 000) children living with HIV. Among all children living with HIV, 61·0% (n=259 000 [probability band 216 000-303 000]) were previously diagnosed and 39·0% (n=166 000 [128 000-204 000]) had not been previously diagnosed with HIV. Among previously diagnosed children living with HIV, 88·4% had detectable antiretroviral medication blood concentrations and 48·3% had viral load suppression. Among all children living with HIV (regardless of previous diagnosis status), 54·7% had detectable antiretroviral medication blood concentrations and 32·6% had viral load suppression. INTERPRETATION: Our findings show the uneven coverage of paediatric HIV testing across these seven countries and underscore the urgent need to address gaps in diagnosis and treatment for all children living with HIV. FUNDING: None.

Innovations in Rwanda's health system: looking to the future.

Rwanda is making substantial progress towards improvement of health and is working towards achievement of the Millennium Development Goals, which is a challenging task because the country has had genocide in 1994, has few natural resources, is landlocked, and has high population growth. Like many impoverished sub-Saharan countries, Rwanda's health system has had an uncoordinated plethora of donors, shortage of health staff, inequity of access, and poor quality of care in health facilities. This report describes three health system developments introduced by the Rwandan government that are improving these barriers to care-ie, the coordination of donors and external aid with government policy, and monitoring the effectiveness of aid; a country-wide independent community health insurance scheme; and the introduction of a performance-based pay initiative. If these innovations are successful, they might be of interest to other sub-Saharan countries. However, Rwanda still does not have sufficient financial resources for health and will need additional external aid for some time to attain the Millennium Development Goals.